With my executive coaching services having a startup background and including alternative asset managers in the present, my connection to Venture Capital and startup fundraising is strong. Some services I sometimes provide on a case-by-case basis, heavily dependent on context:
Just like hedge fund managers raising from allocators, Venture Capital GPs have to raise from LPs - and in many cases these are the same allocators.
I help GPs "market" their fund to prospective allocators, showing performance and investment process in the right way, among other topics.
Being a board member as a GP is easy. Being an efficient board member that adds value to the portfolio founders, however, is another beast entirely.
I help with influence and persuasion techniques so board members can build empathy and alignment with founders, gain more transparency on reporting, KPIs and issues, and create a stronger bond.
When you need to balance tasks like the sourcing of opportunities, due diligence for prospective ones including technological, legal and financial, and, more than anything else, support for invested ventures, things can get hectic.
I help GPs balance their time to assess the new possible hockey-stick portfolio makers while still adding value to the existing portfolio.
Under development with clients – check back soon!
Techniques to raise capital from prospective investors doing fund selection in alternative assets.
How to effectively add value to portfolio company founders as a board member.
How to properly balance time between sourcing, due diligence and post-investment monitoring.
Check some of our interviews with top Venture Capital companies / Venture Capital firms GPs:
“The individual culture of a board varies greatly. The best boards are efficient – they involve a pre-read, have a set agenda, set aside time for strategic discussions, and have a clear decision making process.”
“The best board members “work for the CEO as long as they support the CEO.” If they don’t support her, they should do something (which could mean changing the CEO, or working hard with her to get back to a place of support). For me – that’s the fundamental “trick” to being an effective board member”
“For us, we really try to focus on and add value around our core skill set both because founders want and need it and it’s something we know really well. That can happen as a board member (we have seats currently on four boards) but doesn’t necessarily need to – we just need to be able to offer our expertise and ideas and make sure they’re taken seriously. Obviously, transparency and honesty is the key to a healthy relationship between the board and the CEO”.
